In a city that has been synonymous with coal and thermal energy for decades, the sun and water are increasingly being talked about. The Pljevlja Coal Mine (RUP) has begun a series of activities that could mark the beginning of the business transformation of this state-owned enterprise - from reliance on fossil fuels to the development of renewable energy sources.
The planned construction of the small hydropower plant "Durutovići" and the solar power plant at the Grevo site are part of the broader Just Transition Plan, which aims to reduce dependence on coal and adapt to modern energy flows.
Rudnik told "Vijesti" that they submitted a request to the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and State Property for the issuance of urban and technical conditions for the construction of a small hydroelectric power plant in the village of Durutovići, on a dam that they built about fifteen years ago for the purpose of relocating the Ćehotina riverbed.
The mine had to build a dam in Durutovići to divert the river from its course, and built two tunnels, as well as two concrete channels through which the Ćehotina currently flows. The project cost the Pljevlja-based company more than 20 million euros. At the end of last year, work was completed on a new riverbed through the Potrlica mine, but soon after the river was released into the new riverbed, it was returned to its old one in order to carry out additional work.
By returning the Ćehotina River to its approximately natural course, the current role of the "Durutovići" dam will cease and the possibility of utilizing its potential for the construction of a mini hydroelectric power plant for electricity production at the location of the existing arched concrete dam, which was previously built to divert the Ćehotina River into a new bed due to the progress of mining works at the Potrlica open-pit mine will be created.
The procedure for obtaining urban planning and technical conditions is underway.
The planned installed capacity of the small hydropower plant is 2,2 megawatts. The plant is designed as a short diversion, which means that the hydropower plant will produce electricity by diverting part of the river flow through a pipeline or canal to a turbine, using the head obtained by the difference in height between the water intake and the machine building. It is planned to be located about 400 meters downstream of the existing dam, and it is planned to operate in synchronization with the small hydropower plant “Otilovići”, whose implementation is currently underway.
The parameters of both plants are, according to RUP, “quite similar”.
The Electric Power Company of Montenegro (EPCG) recently signed a contract with the company "Vigoris Ecotech" from Podgorica for the implementation of the project to build a small hydroelectric power plant "Otilovići", which includes the development of the main design, construction of civil engineering structures, delivery and installation of electro-mechanical equipment, testing and commissioning, on a "turnkey" basis.
The contract was concluded after an open public procurement procedure, and the total investment value is 6.795.000 euros (excluding VAT). The project involves the installation of two units with horizontal "Francis turbines", with a total installed capacity of 3,2 MW, with a planned annual production of about 11 gigawatt hours of electricity.
"It is estimated that the impact of the construction of the small hydropower plant on the environment will be minimal, given that the project is based on the use of existing water potential and already built infrastructure," Rudnik responded to the newspaper's question about whether the implementation of this project will involve the reconstruction of the existing dam and what the impact will be on the watercourse and the environment in the area.
The total value of the investment, as well as precise data on the expected annual electricity production, will be defined only after the final design and additional analyses. After the completion of administrative procedures and the preparation of technical documentation, more precise deadlines for the start and duration of the works will be known.
FORTY MILLION FOR SOLAR
In parallel with the plans for the construction of a small hydroelectric power plant in Durutovići, Rudnik is also developing a project to build a solar power plant at the Grevo site.
"In accordance with applicable legal regulations, RUP has obtained the necessary approvals, and last year the Government of Montenegro adopted the urban planning and technical requirements for the development of technical documentation for the solar power plant," said Rudnik Uglja.
An analysis of the connection to the electricity transmission system is currently underway. This will be followed by a tender for the preparation of technical documentation, which will define the final technical solutions and steps for connection to the electricity grid.
"In the study submitted as part of the project, the connection capacity would be 62,5 megawatts. It should certainly be borne in mind that only with the final development of the project solution and analyses will the real power, and thus the investment value of the planned small hydropower plant 'Durutovići' and the coal mine solar power plant, be defined," said the largest Pljevlja company.
The solar power plant is planned to be built in the Potrlica coal mine complex, on 63 hectares of land, with a nominal capacity of 81,1 megawatts. The investment, whose total value is currently estimated at around 40 million euros, would also include battery systems for energy storage, further strengthening the energy stability and efficiency of the future power plant.
The study submitted as part of the project states that the connection capacity, or the maximum power that the solar power plant can deliver to the grid, is 62,5 megawatts.
According to current estimates, the total investment value would be around 500.000 euros per megawatt, which amounts to a total of around forty million euros. Additional costs will include the procurement and installation of battery systems for energy storage.
Rudnik did not respond to "Vijesti's" question about when construction and operations can be expected to begin.
The company previously announced that the project was planned to be completed this year, by the end of the construction season, which is unlikely given the current state of the project.
RUP emphasizes that the small hydropower plant "Durutovići" and the solar power plant in Grevo are an integral part of the Just Transition Plan through business transformation of companies. The goal is to gradually reduce dependence on fossil fuels and more actively contribute to Montenegro's energy transition through the development of renewable energy sources and more efficient use of existing resources.
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